RULES-SHIFTING LEADERS

Duda Owner IONOS • June 19, 2015

Sometimes the greatest gift the leader can give is to prompt people to think differently, even when that might involve a reframing of your rules. As people, we all have blind spots. The wise leader knows this and looks for them. Being a catalyst to remind people to be open to a new perspective is powerful and effective.

Charlie Young is the president and CEO at ERA Real Estate. He reflects upon a boss who embodied these characteristics and the effect that it had upon Young and his team (Arianne Cohen, “Good Boss, Bad Boss” Bloomberg Businessweek , 4/13/15–4/19/15, p. 76):

My boss at a consulting company shaped my management philosophies, including ‘Play offense, not defense,’ so we’re forward-thinking and aggressive. Whenever I’m stuck, I remember how he challenged me to shift the rules.

Rules-shifting leaders are the people we should seek and the people we should become.





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